Downsview Airport (IATA: YZD, ICAO: CYZD) is a now-closed airport located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. An air field, then air force base, it has been a testing facility for Bombardier Aerospace from 1994. In 2018, Bombardier sold the facility to Northcrest Developments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board; in late 2023, Northcrest announced that industrial and airport operations would close by mid-2024, as redevelopment into commercial and residential properties moves forward.[3] The airport was closed as of April 2024.[1] On 17 August 2024, Northcrest Developments unveiled a new identity for the 1.5 km2 (370 acres) of the former Downsview Airport lands drawing on the site’s history: YZD, as the transformation kicks off.[4]
Downsview Airport was developed in 1939 as an airfield next to an aircraft manufacturing plant operated by de Havilland Canada. In 1947, the Department of National Defence purchased property surrounding the airfield and expanded it, creating RCAF Station Downsview to provide an air base for Royal Canadian Air Force units. The base was renamed Canadian Forces Base Toronto (Downsview) in 1968 and retained this name until its closure in 1996.
The airfield has also served as a test site for several famous aircraft produced by de Havilland and Avro Canada, including the Beaver, the Twin Otter, and the Dash 8. The airport was available to pilots only with prior permission.
Bombardier Aerospace at one time owned twelve hangars in the southwest corner of the airport, where the Dash 8 was built and assembled. The Bombardier Global Express and the variant Global 5000 were also assembled here at the Downsview plant, as were the wings and wingboxes of the Learjet 45. The Bombardier CSeries jet had landed at the airfield in 2015, but is assembled in Montreal.
The airport had one operational runway, 15/33 at 7,000 ft (2,100 m) with a parallel taxiway. Runway 09/27 at 3,164 ft (964 m) was previously closed (east section removed), as was runway 04/22 at 4,000 ft (1,200 m) (north section removed and south part retained as taxiway into the Bombardier plant).
Bombardier has an agreement to sell the Downsview Airport and its manufacturing plant to Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). Under the agreement, Bombardier can use Downsview for up to five years. Bombardier signed a lease agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to build a new facility at Pearson Airport on 38 acres (0.15 km2; 15 ha) where it would move the production of its Global series planes.[7] Plans for Dash 8 production were not announced at that time. In November 2018, Bombardier sold the Dash 8 business and the DeHavilland name to Viking Air, which has not disclosed its long-term plans for Dash 8 production beyond the existing already agreed-upon time frame for Downsview.[8]
Farewell of De Havilland Canada
On 11 June 2022, a private event was held at Downsview Airport, commemorating the farewell of De Havilland Canada after 94 years at the airport. Many past and present employees and their families were invited to attend. The event featured showcases of various de Havilland Canada aircraft, with some arriving and departing from the airport during the occasion
Military housing
A series of homes were built for Canadian Forces personnel at the corner of Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West and at the south end of the base property. Access to the north end housing on Robert Woodhead Crescent and John Drury Drive was restricted to base personnel and fenced off from the neighbouring properties. After the military base being closed down, the housing was abandoned and torn down.
Future development
In May 2024, Northcrest Developments took control of the site, following Bombardier's relocation to a new facility. On 17 August 2024, Northcrest unveiled a new identity for the site, naming it YZD, a nod to the former airport code and honouring the site’s legacy of innovation. The $30-billion CAD transformation of the 1.5 km2 (370 acres) site will unfold over the next 30 years. The project includes the creation of seven new neighbourhoods, encompassing over 2.6 km2 (28,000,000 sq ft) of residential space, over 0.65 km2 (7,000,000 sq ft) of commercial and cultural spaces, and approximately 0.30 km2 (74 acres) of parks, green, and open spaces, including the 2.1 km (1.3 mi) reimagined Runway. The Runway will become the anchor of the community as a pedestrianized open space, while the hangars will be retrofitted to house new commercial and cultural ventures. Upon completion, YZD is expected to accommodate over 55,000 residents and create 23,000 jobs.[9] On 26 September 2024, United States-based Live Nation Entertainment confirmed that Rogers Stadium will debut at YZD in June 2025.[10] The new stadium will be an open-air concert venue with a stated capacity of 50,000, and according to Billboard Canada is "one of the world's few venues of the size that isn't also home to a sports team."[11]
Carl Hall Road - former section of Sheppard Avenue and named for private Carl Hall, American born World War I member of the Central Ontario Regiment[16]
